It has been tempting, in recent weeks, to conclude that Raheem Sterling is simply no longer part of Mikel Arteta’s plans. The winger has hardly played for Arsenal in the past few games and, against Manchester United at the weekend, he was overlooked once again as his team chased a goal.
But in the ebbs and flows of a long campaign, momentum can shift for any player. In this Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven, in which Arsenal were already guaranteed progress after last week’s 7-1 win, there were signs that Sterling might yet have a part to play in the matches to come.
Of course, we must be careful not to read too much into a game as unusual as this. But it was also impossible to ignore Sterling’s contributions in the first half, when he created goals for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice.
Sterling looked sharp and motivated, as if he had definitively decided that this was the time to remind Arteta of what he can offer. At the end, he was named man of the match. “It was nice to be out there and contribute to the team,” he said. “I wanted to play my game, be dynamic.”
And yet. Such is Sterling’s lack of fortune this season, even this unquestionably positive night ended on a negative note. Flying into a tackle in stoppage time, he picked up a yellow card that means he will be suspended for the first leg of Arsenal’s quarter-final against Real Madrid. Two assists, two steps forward, and then one step back.
An unnecessary challenge so late in the game, with Arsenal drawing 2-2 on the night and therefore leading 9-3 on aggregate? Undoubtedly. And yet Arteta took encouragement from Sterling’s willingness to fight for his team.
“The way he tracked back in the corner in the last action when he got booked – that’s the kind of play that we want to see,” the Arsenal manager said of Sterling.
Sterling’s two assists took him to 46 goal involvements in the Champions League. Of English players, only David Beckham, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney have more. Sterling’s current sharpness can be questioned, but his experience in this competition cannot. Perhaps there is still a decisive contribution to come from him in this European campaign.
“I know what I’m capable of,” Sterling said. “You have to wait for your moment. I am confident I still have a big part to play. I haven’t had as many minutes as I would like, but it’s up to me to keep knocking at the door. Whether it’s 10 minutes 20, 45 or a start, I have just got to be ready.”
On a strange night, Arteta was able to make huge changes to his team. This was effectively a free hit for his team, and there was a rare start in midfield for Zinchenko.
The Ukraine international may not have the physicality that Arteta demands these days, but he remains a supreme technician, and perhaps the most skilful player in the Arsenal squad. Within a few minutes here he proved that good footballers are capable of playing all over the pitch, as he turned on the ball 25 yards from goal and curled a delightful finish into the far corner.
It was a move that had been started by Sterling, who worked hard and fruitfully throughout the first half. Sterling then created the second with a fabulous assist, darting past two defenders and crossing for Rice to score with his head. Rice received some stick on social media for celebrating his equaliser at Old Trafford on Sunday, and appeared to jokingly respond to his critics by cancelling his celebration here.
At this point, the only thing that was missing from Sterling’s performance was a goal. He went close at the end of both halves, but was denied on each occasion by PSV goalkeeper Walter Benítez.
The shame for Sterling – on top of his booking – was that his assists did not lead to a victory on the night. PSV struck through Ivan Perisic, still a warrior at 36, in the first half and then equalised in the second as Couhaib Driouech produced a fabulous chip over David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
10:24 PM GMT
Raheem Sterling talks to TNT Sports
It was nice to be out there and contribute to the team. I wanted to play my game, be dynamic. Sometimes you need that rhythm and tonight [I thought I found it]. When you have a leader like we do as a manager, the boys are a tight-knit group. I could feel it when I got here that we had a top team mentality. Ethan and Myles are very mature not juts in their hame play bit how they prepare. They’re like senior pros. They take their craft so seriously. I wasn’t in the gym as much as them [when I was their age]. That’s what you want to see around the group.
It was decent performance by myself. know what I’m capable of. You have to wait for your moment. I am confident I still have a big part to play. I haven’t has as much minutes as I would like but it’s up to me to keep knocking at the door. Whether it’s 10 minutes 20, 45 or a start I’ve just got to be ready.
I’m not physically knocking at [Mikel’s] door but on the training field I keep trying to push and get in his thought processes.
10:17 PM GMT
Optimism abounds
09:58 PM GMT
Oleksandr Zinchenko speaks to TNT Sports
Always nice to be on the pitch. Important that we went through and looking forward to the next game. I loved that place and that club, the people, the fans, they were special. All my life I played in midfield and for the national team but at this high level [it’s been a while]. At this stage every team is world-class level and I’m looking forward to it [Real and Atletico are headed into extra-time].
09:53 PM GMT
Full time: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Four handsome goals and a tonic for some of Arsenal’s peripheral players, especially Zinchenko and Sterling, plus Ben White looks ready to retake his regular role.
09:52 PM GMT
90+3 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Sterling completes his night with a booking for a wild sliding foul on Bakayoko, going over the ball. That yellow card rules him out of the first leg of the quarter final against whichever of the two Madrid giants prevail tonight.
09:51 PM GMT
90+1 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Sterling has a good chance well saved by Benitez as he ran on to a cute Odegaard flick. He tried to hook the bouncing ball past the keeper who managed to spread himself to deflect it behind.
09:44 PM GMT
88 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
From the corner, Bakatoko cuts in off the other wing to scuff a pea-roller of a shot from 20 yards that Raya gobbles up.
09:43 PM GMT
86 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Babadi, who PSV say is their best prospect since Cody Gakpo, glides through the inside-left channel to shoot from 22 yards. It has power but Raya saw it all the way and turns it round the left post.
09:41 PM GMT
84 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Timber goes on a slaloming run down the right and then cuts towards the box. The ball is never fully under control, though, and his last heavy touch makes him slip as he tries to retrieve it.
09:40 PM GMT
81 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Arsenal corner on the right, whipped deep to Gabriel who peels off but plonks his header into the side-netting.
09:39 PM GMT
79 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
More changes:
Odegaard → Zinchenko
Martinelli → Tierney
Timber → White.
09:37 PM GMT
76 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Quite a lot of the air has gone out of this match in the second half, especially since Arsenal took Rice off.
09:34 PM GMT
74 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Two more subs for PSV which I missed just before the goal:
Boscagli → Obispo
De Jong → Perisic
09:32 PM GMT
72 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 2 (3)
Arsenal without Rice are just not the same side.
09:28 PM GMT
GOAL!
Arsenal 2 PSV 2 (Driouech) Jorginho (I think) loses the ball in midfield and PSV play the Moroccan through on goal. As Raya comes out Driouech chips him with a perfect clip, almost like a long-range panenka.
09:27 PM GMT
68 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Wonderful left-sided triangle between Tierney who pings a pass infield to Calafiori and he flicks it with his heel behind him to Lewis-Skelly to slide a first-time return ino the box. Calafiori strides on to it and shoots, bang int advancing Benitez’s bread basket.
09:25 PM GMT
66 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Calafiori has gone to left-back and Myles-Skelly into midfield alongside Jorginho. Trossard is the nominal centre-foward.
Raya stops Bakayoko’s cross at the near post. PSV think the keeper took it out of play but the ref waved play on.
09:22 PM GMT
64 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Rice is booked for catching Nagalo across the chops as they went up for a header.
Calafiori → Rice
Trossard → Merino.
09:21 PM GMT
61 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Trossard and Calafiori are about to come on. Hope the other four left-backs stay on so we can have five. They’ve all done fine.
I wonder if we might see Ethan Nwaneri in the striker position tonight. Arteta has hinted that the teenager’s long-term future might be as a N 9. Why not give him a taste of it tonight?
09:17 PM GMT
59 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Veerman meets Malacia’s cut-back to the 18-yard line so sweetly on the half-volley but cannot keep it down, the ball soaring to clear the crossbar.
09:16 PM GMT
57 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Perisic slices a 40-yard shot out towards the corner flag which s celebrated wildly by the pickled or puddled PSV fans.
09:14 PM GMT
55 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Good save from Raya diving low to his left to tip Bakayoko’s curling effort round the post.
09:13 PM GMT
52 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Tierney is not hugging the touchline so much as playing inside to give Myles-Skelly the room to drive down the wing.
09:09 PM GMT
50 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Ben White is fed by Sterling’s pass to run down the inside-right channel towards the D and decides to shoot with his left and let fly without much conviction. Benitez gathers smoothly
09:07 PM GMT
48 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Arsenal corner. Merino made the right run but the ball didn’t come. Zinchenko bends it in from the right to the near post but PSV win the first contact and push Arsenal back.
09:05 PM GMT
46 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Half-time sub for PSV:
Veerman → Schouten.
PSV try to get off to a flying restart with Bakayoko storming down the right wing to stand up a cross to the left of the penalty spot where Kiwior’s back-header takes it away from the swooping Babadi.
08:47 PM GMT
Half-time: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Three excellent goals but with absolutely nothing at stake it can’t help feeling too bloodless for a knockout match.
08:46 PM GMT
45 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
The lively Ledezma is caught offside by inches. George Graham would have been proud of that. One minute of stoppage time to come.
08:45 PM GMT
43 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Yellow card for Kiwior gives PSV a free-kick on the left that they whip to the near post. It’s headed out and sets Sterling out for a 60-yard sprint straight up the middle. He still has the pace and is roared on into the box where he tries to dink it over the advancing, sprawling Benitez who manages to stick up an arm mid-slide to block it.
08:42 PM GMT
40 min: Arsenal 2 (9) PSV 1 (2)
Benitez plucks Tierney’s cross out of the air.
This has been a good half for Raheem Sterling, who has endured a painful few months. He’s barely played, despite all the injuries to Arsenal’s forwards. Two assists so far, and there’s a real zip to his play at the moment...
08:37 PM GMT
GOAL!
Arsenal 2 PSV 1 (Rice) Another assist for Sterling. He cushions Kiwior’s chip down the right, dribbles pas Driouech then stops to lure Malacia towards him before powering past to pull a cross back just in front of the penalty spot that Rice meets perfectly and buries the header.
08:36 PM GMT
36 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
White swings a deep cross into the box from the right, having crept behind Malacia, but Benitez comes out to claim an easy catch. No Arsenal forward in the postcode.
08:35 PM GMT
34 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Babadi hurts himself fouling Sterling and the referee compounds the pain by waiting for him to get up after treatment and booking him.
08:33 PM GMT
32 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Penalty shout for Arsenal when Rice slips a fine pass down the inside-left-channel and Myles-Skelly steps in off the flank to knock it past the advancing keeper and rounds him. The ball, taking a deflection off the keeper, trickles into the foot of the post and Myles-Skelly tries to latch on to the rebound but is barged over by Nagalo. They shout for a penalty but the referee and VAR deem it a legitimate bump.
08:30 PM GMT
29 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Sterling and White are combining well together down the right and the right-back pings over another low cross that PSV see off.
08:28 PM GMT
27 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Tierney gets the chance to show his chops as an outside left, running down the wing to cross. Rice makes the run beyond Merino but Malacia beats him to the wayward centre.
08:27 PM GMT
25 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Long spell of Arsenal possession as they work it from side to side, back and forth.
08:23 PM GMT
22 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 1 (2)
Well that hasn’t really silenced the home fans, who have been pretty nonchalant all night. But the travelling supporters go even more berserk.
Great work by the travelling PSV fans tonight, treating every shot like a goal and responding to that Perisic striker as if it was a late winner. Why not have a laugh? Hopefully the celebration police aren’t taking too much offence.
08:19 PM GMT
GOAL!
Arsenal 1 PSV 1 (Perisic) A veteran of the highest pedigree pounces when Arsenal lose the ball on halfway on the right, PSV get in behind White and Driouech shifts it across the 18-yard line to the right of the D. Perisic wedges his foot under it for a longish-range scoop or dink to get the shot off before Lewis-Skelly closed him down. Fine finish.
08:19 PM GMT
18 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 0 (1)
Error from Kiwior as Arsenal play out. He’s in the right-back position and lasers a left-foot pass to the left of the D and Bakayoko takes on a first time shot and blazes it over.
08:17 PM GMT
16 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 0 (1)
White pushes high to receive a pass from Zinchenko and then whips a low cross towards the penalty spit that Nagalo manages to bundle away with Merino lurking but not instinctively in the right position.
08:15 PM GMT
14 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 0 (1)
PSV have had a couple of forays forward bit can’t pick a pass to break the lines with Arsenal’s defenders covering so well with acute positioning and confidence. Not quite a testimonial or carnival atmosphere but not far short of it.
08:12 PM GMT
12 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 0 (1)
Zinchenko was always an attacking midfielder in his youth, only converting to full-back at Manchester City. Arteta has hardly ever used him in midfield until these last few weeks (perhaps because of his physical limitations?) but that was a demonstration of his considerable technical ability. Good footballers can play in lots of positions, and Zinchenko is definitely a good footballer.
08:11 PM GMT
10 min: Arsenal 1 (8) PSV 0 (1)
That early setback has not dented the PSV fans’ enthusiasm. They’re bouncing away, non-stop.
08:07 PM GMT
GOAL!
Arsenal 1 PSV 0 (Zinchenko) Cute pass from Sterling from the right into Zinchenko’s feet 35 yards out on the right. He zips infield at pace, tacking to his left and then arrows a left-foot shot into the left of goal, unstoppably. And doesn’t celebrate too wildly, if at all, in respect for his former club’s feelings.
08:06 PM GMT
5 min: Arsenal 0 (7) PSV 0 (1)
First decent spell for PSV with Bakayoko attacking down the right and then working it crossfield for Driouech but Sterling boxes him off when he tries to cross diligently and the ball rebounds back off him and out for a goalkick.
08:04 PM GMT
3 min: Arsenal 0 (7) PSV 0 (1)
Lots of possession for Arsenal.. PSV cannot get hold of the ball never mind keep it. All four defenders have had time on the ball to measure their passes and probe patiently.
08:02 PM GMT
1 min: Arsenal 0 (7) PSV 0 (1)
Arsenal kick off and knock it back to Raya who drills a 60-yard pass down the inside-left channel that almost falls perfectly for Zinchenko but doesn’t quite and he is closed down before he can shoot. Perisic is playing down the middle for PSV, not wide left.
07:59 PM GMT
The teams are out
Arsenal in red and white, naturally, PSV with yellow and rainbow trim.
07:58 PM GMT
Whither Raheem?
After three seasons of toil, absence and confinement to the peripheries, the first of them because of that horrible, violent robbery following his move to Chelsea, where does Raheem Sterling go from here. He is only 30 and has two years left on his Chelsea contract but, like Rooney et all, those who play 150 games at elite level before they turn 20 tend to fade early.
07:49 PM GMT
Fancy a singalong? 12 inch version?
Right, cue Handel:
Ce sont les meilleures équipes
Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften
The main event
Die Meister
Die Besten
Les grandes équipes
The champions
Une grande réunion
Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung
The main event
Ils sont les meilleurs
Sie sind die Besten
These are the champions
Die Meister
Die Besten
Les grandes équipes
The champions
07:42 PM GMT
A puzzle
How can TNT Sports make any money with the same handful of adverts on heavy rotation. I know mots people tune out but I’m largely still plugged in when typing the football and cricket updates. It’s like torture. Tonight I think I have heard/seen their trailer for the new Danny Dyer film six times.
07:40 PM GMT
In the early kick-off
Borussia Dortmund have beaten Lille in the away leg 2-1 to go through to face Barcelona in the quarter-finals by an aggregate score of 3-2.
07:33 PM GMT
The holdovers
07:30 PM GMT
A word frm Peter Bosz
Of course, it would be a huge miracle. But miracles happen sometimes, right? I think everyone who was on the field last week doesn’t want to go through what happened there again. We want to show that we are better than that.
07:17 PM GMT
Arteta at the podium
07:08 PM GMT
Record breakers?
There may not be a huge amount of jeopardy tonight but there is still something for Arsenal to aim for: statistical history. What could be sweeter than that?
Here are some of the records they might be targeting:
07:04 PM GMT
Armstrong... Rix... Limpar... Overmars... Pires... Tierney
Few would have expected Arsenal to go into a Champions League knockout game this season with a front three of Kieran Tierney (a full-back), Mikel Merino (a midfielder) and Raheem Sterling. Quite remarkable, really. It’s a reflection of their injury issues but also, mainly, the scoreline in this tie. It looks like we might also be seeing Oleksandr Zinchenko starting in midfield.
07:02 PM GMT
And now for those of you watching in black and white...
Arsenal Raya; White, Gabriel, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Jorginho, Zinchenko; Sterling, Merino, Tierney.
Substitutes Neto, Setford, Saliba, Partey, Odegaard, Martinelli, Timber, Trossard, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia, Nwaneri.
PSV Beintez; Ledezma, Nagalo, Obispo, Malacia; Til, Schouten, Babadi; Bakayoko, Driouech, Perisic.
Substitutes Drommel, Schiks, Karsdrop, Flamingo, Dest, L De Jong, Lang, Boscagli, Bajratarevic, Veerman, Land.
Referee Rada Obrenovic (Slovenia)
06:57 PM GMT
PSV team news
Five change: out go Flamingo, Boscagli, Saibari, Lang and De Jong for Nagalo, Obispo, Bakayoko, Babadi and Driouech. The omission of Lang and De Jong tells us where their priorities now lie having been overtaken by Ajax in the Eredivisie title race following a run of only seven points from seven games after the winter break.
06:51 PM GMT
Arsenal opt for a team with three left-backs
Or four if you count Kiwior’s occasional position.
Arsenal Raya; White, Gabriel, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Jorginho, Zinchenko, Rice; Sterling, Tierney; Merino.
Substitutes Neto, Setford, Timber, Calafiori, Saliba, Partey, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Trossard, Butler-Oyedeji, Kabia.
06:42 PM GMT
PSV fans took a detour to Plough Lane last night
Where Cheltenham beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1:
05:26 PM GMT
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05:26 PM GMT
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05:24 PM GMT
Preview: Hope abandoned?
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the second leg of the round of 16 Champions League tie between Arsenal and PSV to determine who will take on Real or Atlético Madrid in the quarter-final. Oh, who are we trying to kid. Arsenal are 7-1 up after an excellent performance against poor old Philips Sport Vereniging in Eindhoven, aided and abetted by two goals for Martin Odegaard who played as well as he has done since before his autumn injury, contributions from Jurrien Timber, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori as well as an example of the laxest refereeing imaginable at this level that spared Myles Lewis-Skelly first dibs on the loofah.
And yet, the romantic within most football fans cherish that famous day when Luis Enrique’s Barcelona began the second leg of their 2017 R16 tie 4-0 down to PSG, went in 2-0 up at the break by virtue of a Luis Suarez goal and a Layvin Kurzawa og. Then Lionel Messi made it three from the spot but when Edinson Cavani pulled one back for the visitors, Barca needed three goals in 29 minutes plus stoppage time to go through. For 27 of them they were held 3-1, but then Neymar made it 4-1, equalised on aggregate from the spot in the first of five added-time minutes but were still on their way out on away goals. And then, with seconds left, Sergi Roberto, eviscerated on and off the field in Paris, latched on to a chip over the PSG defence and hooked in a volley to win 6-1. It was a terrific achievement but they were only four down.
Six? Impossible. Well... in the 1986 Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final Dynamo Dresden’s players could have been forgiven for playing the final 45 minutes smoking cigars having started 2-0 up from the first leg and with a 3-1 lead at half time in the second. Perhaps they did – with nothing to lose Bayer Uerdingen went berserk, scoring six second-half goals to go from 5-1 down on aggregate to a 7-5 victory with two apiece for Wolfgang Schafer and Wolfgang Funkel.
So, it can be done... but not tonight I’d hazard. PSV, who beat Juventus in the play-off and drew with PSG before beating a scratch Liverpool side in the group stage, will be playing for nothing more than self-respect. As for Arsenal, it’s an opportunity to test some options for quarter-final of the last remaining trophy on offer for them. And if not now for Raheem Sterling, when and, more pertinently, where next?
